Trunk.



S. L. KLEBER.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED IAY 3. HM].

Patented May 7,1918.

SAMUEL L. KLEBER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUNK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. KLEBER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trunks, boxes, and other receptacles, more particularly trunks, and has for its object to provide a trunk, box or receptacle, with means in a malmer as hereinafter set forth, for coupling and securing together the walls thereof without the employment of tacks or screws and further whereby the corner edges of the trunk, box orreceptacle are reinforced.

In the manufacture of trunks, the body portion, which is formed of a series of panels, forming the walls and bottom of the trunk, are nailed together and after which reinforcing strips are secured to the outer sides of the panels by means of nails and this manner of setting up the body portion is open to the objection that the nails not only weaken the panels, but furthermore than that it requires considerable time which is objectionable especially in the manufacture of moderate price trunks as such time is a considerable item of expense.

To overcome the foregoing objection relative to the weakening of the panels and to reduce the cost of manufacturing are the primary objects of this invention and which are attained by the employment of corner elements for not only coupling and securing the walls of the trunk, box or receptacle together, but which further act as a means to set up an interior and exterior reinforcement for each wall as well as reinforcing the edges of said body portion.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a trunk, box or receptacle, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, reinforced at its corner edges, readily set up and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

- \Vith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application filed May 3, 1917. Serial No. 166,216.

drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trunk in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, broken away, of the body portion of the trunk.-

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, broken away, of the body of the trunk.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of combined coupling and securing element.

Fig. 5 illustrates, in section, still another modified form of combined coupling and securing element.

Referring to the drawings in detail 1 denotes the lid of the trunk and which is hinged in the known manner to the body portion of the trunk which comprises a front wall 1, a rear wall 2, a pair of end walls 3 and a bottom 4.

Associated with the front and rear walls and the bottom are a pair of longitudinal corner combined coupling and securing strips, one of which overlaps the front marginal portion of the bottom and the lower marginal portion of the front wall and the other of which overlaps the rear marginal portion of the bottom and the lower marginal portion of the rear wall.

Associated with the bottom and the end walls are a pair of transversely, disposed combined coupling and securing strips, one

of which overlaps one end marginal portion of the bottom and the bottom marginal portion of one end Wall and the other of which overlaps the other end marginal portion of the bottom and the bottom marginal portion of the other end wall.

Associated with the front, rear, and end walls, are four vertically disposed combined coupling and securing strips, two of which overlap the front side marginal portions of the end walls and the end marginal portions of thefront wall and the other two overlap the rear side'marginal portions of the end walls and the end marginal portions of the rear wall.

verticalstrips are equal in height to the height of the front and rear walls, v and the,

transyerse strips are of a length equal to the length of the end walls.

As the, longitudinal strips are similar in construction to the vert cal. stripsandas the vertical stripsare similar in construction to the transverse str ps, but one combined con.- pllng. and securing strip wlllbe described,

for thereason thatthedescriptionof it will,

apply to each. of the others,

Each. of the-combined coupling and securing strips isformed from a single length of metallic material bent to fornr an inner sectionIand an outer section, The outer section i s ,L or angleshaped and comprises. a vertical and a horizontallego, 6, respectively. The inner section-consists of anangles hapeportion formed of legs7, 8, and an angle shape portionf rmedofQlegsQ, 10. The angle or shaped portions, oflhe inner section are disposed at right angles withrespecttoeach other. The. legs 7, 8, bear againstthe inner faces of thelegsb, 6. Theleg? is. of less lengththanthe. leg 5 andtheleg 8 is sub- Stan ially. f, he ame ngt as h e The leg 6.is connected withthe leg 8b an inwardly extending protuberancell w ich constitutes a securing means. The. leg 9 is arranged parallel to the leg; 8, but spaced therefrom, and is, of. less length than the. length of the leg 8.

. The leg 7 terminates in the leg 9 and the latter is disposed at right angles with respect. to the former. The leg. 9v also extends atright angles with respect to the leg 5. The leg 10 opposes theleg5 and extends towardsaidleg 5 at. a slight. inclination.

The freeterminus of the leg-5 is bent upon itself to form a protuberance12 ,whichconstitutes a securing means. The freeterminusof 'the leg l0 is.bent inwardly to provide an offset, as at 13, which constitutes a securing means. The offset 13 opposes the proturbera-nce. 12.

' The leg 8 in connection with. the ,legs 7 and 9.forms apocketl land the.leg 5 in connection-l with the legs. 9, 10 forms. a po,cket15.

The leg? isthe bottom ofthe pocket i l and the leg9isthe bottomofthe pocket 15.

Each ofthepanels which form thewalls and bottom of the bodyportion of the trunk can be f .r med of. asingle piece .of material or laminated strip. In Fig. 2 the panelsare shown as formed of a single strip of ma-. terial while in Fig. 3 each of the panels is laminated.

The pockets 1a and 15 are adapted toreceive the panels which are forced into said pockets and after being forced therein the protuberances 11 and 12, as well as the offset portion 13, are embedded in the panels and act as securing means to prevent separation of the panels.

he strips, not only couple the panels together but also reinforce the inner and outer faces thereof, and. further, securethe panels; in position.

Thepocket let is disposed at right angles with respect to thepocket 1,5;and; as thewalls of. thepocket le are reinforcedbythe legs 5. and. 6, the exterior corners ofthe trunk are. madevery stron Overlapping the combined couplingand securing strips are edgepiecesldwhich are securedtothe body portion of, the receptacle or trunk,

Securedto each cornerof. the body of. the unhas M118, re corner piecesla.

In Fig eof the: drawings instead. of ut i, lining; a fiat strip of: material. to provide the mbin upling. a d curing trip he material is slightly corrugated, at, 2 0,- which increases the strength of-the material.

The. employmentof, thecombined conpling and; securing strips in a manner as stated overcomes thenecessity of usingre: inforcing strips. which; are tacked to; the panels-.ofthe trunk, and further the railing of the body. portiontogethen InFig. 5 of the draw-ingsa modified form of combined coupling; and securing. strip is illustrated. with but one; wall of one-pocket reinforced. In Fig. Eithestrip comprises an angle shape portion formed of 1egs2l, 22, and a channel-portiomformed of a bottom 23 and walls. 2-1, 25. The wall 25 ,terminates in the leg 21. Thebottoin 23 ;opposes andis spaced from theleg 22. Protuberancesare indicated'at 26, 28 and anolfset 3a? 27 The wall 25, and; a portion of the leg 21 reine forcesone wall of the pocketprovided by. the channel portion.

WhatI claim is p A. coupling strip for. thepurpose setforth comprising a. length of metallic. material I 5 greater length than the inner wall and having its free terminus bent inwardly to provide means to embed in the outer face of the bottom of a receptacle, the said means embedding in the said wall and bottom securing the coupling strip in osition.

In testimony whereof in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL L. KLEBER. Witnesses:

Mex H. SROLOVITZ, ELLA J. Lmzxus.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

10 afiix my signature 

